The present invention is directed to an apparatus for use in handling a bag, and more particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus for holding a bag open for ease in filling the bag with food or other material.
The use of bags to store material is common in many commercial and residential tasks. Commonly used bags are often constructed of inexpensive materials such as plastic or paper. Plastic bags are particularly popular to store food in the home and to transport food to other locations, such as to school, work or an outdoor location.
Inexpensive plastic bags typically do not include substantial structural support. As a result, the bags must be held open by the user when the bag is being filled. Such types of bags may be held open with one hand by the user, while the user""s other hand is used to coordinate food into the bag. Depending on the type of food being filled, the task of filling the bag may be difficult and time consuming. Further, the process may result in a littered workspace and soiled hands for the user, each requiring additional time for the user to perform appropriate cleaning.
There is a need in the art for an apparatus that holds a bag open while material is loaded into the bag, that allows a bag to be quickly and easily mounted to and released from the apparatus, and further allows the benefit of xe2x80x9chands freexe2x80x9d use for the user.
An apparatus for holding a bag open for ease in filling the bag with material. The apparatus is adapted to hold a plastic bag open while an operator fills the bag with food. The apparatus advantageously allows for xe2x80x9chands freexe2x80x9d use by the operator.
In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus for use in handling a bag that has two sides, an open end and a closed end, includes a center support member, a bag tensioner mounted to the support member, and a pair of spaced apart tines mounted to the bag tensioner and extending downwardly with respect to the bag tensioner. The tines have a length greater than a length of the bag sides and a width for defining an opening in the bag open end. The bag tensioner is adjustable from a bag tensioning position to a bag release position, such that in the release position the first tine and the second tine are disposed at the bag release distance such that the tines are insertable into the open end of the bag. When the bag is mounted on the tines and the apparatus is set upon a flat surface, the support member and the tines locate the apparatus such that an opening in the open end of the bag is readily accessible for loading.
The tensioner may be a pair of parallel spaced movable arms each associated with one of the tines wherein the arms can be moved toward one another to place the tensioner in the bag release position. The arms may includes a set of ribs defining an operator engagement location. The arms may include a pinch tab extending upwardly from the arm and defining an engagable location for engagement by a finger of an operator of the apparatus.
The apparatus may be a single uniformed piece of molded plastic.
In one embodiment, when a bag is mounted on the tines and the apparatus is set upon a flat surface, the support member and the tines balance the apparatus without additional support. Further, when a bag is mounted on the tines and the apparatus is set upon a flat surface, a bottom of the support member and a bottom of each of the tines may define a plane; that is co-planar with the flat surface.
The center support member may be an elongated column having a length greater than 4.0 inches, wherein the center support member defines a handle for use by an operator of the apparatus. The center support may extend downwardly at an angle away from the tensioner and away from the tines.
The tines may have a width that decreases as the tine extends downwardly from the tensioner. Each of the tines may extend downwardly from the tensioner and terminate in an arcuate bottom portion. A distance between the tines may decrease as each of the tines extends downwardly from the tensioner.